Imagine sitting in a warehouse on the upper eastside with house music playing in the background waiting on a ball to begin. Unexpectedly the announcer says, “category is… bring it to the runway” suddenly a 6 foot man dressed in a flashy gown, creative themed makeup, a dark colored wig, and 9 inch heels is prancing towards you. While he is prancing and sashaying down the runway, the crowd is going crazy, yelling and screaming in awe. The audience energy increases every time a new contestant appears on the runway in a different wardrobe. Welcome to the world of Ballroom culture. Very often, dominant society places implied or actual restrictions on individuals, who in turn respond by forming an association with those who feel similarly restricted.
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The Ballroom culture formed its own version of families, which are known as houses. In Ballroom culture, the names of houses are the same as fashion icons and are known for their year-to-year specialties as dancers or in runway. The leaders of the houses are typically drag queens who play the role of a “mother”. Although there are not any fathers associated with the houses, butch queens are usually considered to be the father. In order for individuals to join a house, they have to be invited by the house leaders. Those who show up without invitation are considered a free agent, or a 007 (Bein). The mother and older individuals are the part of the houses that takes the place of the traditional family they could no longer be a part of. The purpose of the houses is to provide the members with advice and guidance. As a member of the house, the individual receives support, love, mentorship and is able to take the surname of their house …show more content…
When a subculture has become so popular as to be commodified, it typically goes through four levels: mimicking, mainstreaming, mislabeling, and misinterpretation. *(CITE) In the case of Ballroom culture, several of their ideas have become part of everyday life. Individuals who are not a part of the culture mimic words like “slay” and “snatch” that originated within Ballroom culture. Outsiders use the terms to refer to someone who dresses nice or has pretty. Many of today’s pop culture icons were inspired by drag queens and their performances. Beyoncé states that because of the drag house circuit influence, when she is on stage, she thinks of herself through an alter ego known as Sasha (Gage). Madonna released a song and video called Vogue which is a dance created by the men in the Ballroom culture. Madonna learned how to vogue from members who were a part of the Ballroom and later on, her video featured all of the male dancers. There have been various appearances strictly focusing on this subculture in dominant society. The Ballroom culture was first displayed in 1991 in the documentary Paris Is Burning by Jennie Livingston. The documentary focused on the lives of those who have been involved with Ballroom culture for many decades. The documentary explored a variety of things that the members had to deal with. At the same time, the film provided
The Ballroom culture formed its own version of families, which are known as houses. In Ballroom culture, the names of houses are the same as fashion icons and are known for their year-to-year specialties as dancers or in runway. The leaders of the houses are typically drag queens who play the role of a “mother”. Although there are not any fathers associated with the houses, butch queens are usually considered to be the father. In order for individuals to join a house, they have to be invited by the house leaders. Those who show up without invitation are considered a free agent, or a 007 (Bein). The mother and older individuals are the part of the houses that takes the place of the traditional family they could no longer be a part of. The purpose of the houses is to provide the members with advice and guidance. As a member of the house, the individual receives support, love, mentorship and is able to take the surname of their house …show more content…
When a subculture has become so popular as to be commodified, it typically goes through four levels: mimicking, mainstreaming, mislabeling, and misinterpretation. *(CITE) In the case of Ballroom culture, several of their ideas have become part of everyday life. Individuals who are not a part of the culture mimic words like “slay” and “snatch” that originated within Ballroom culture. Outsiders use the terms to refer to someone who dresses nice or has pretty. Many of today’s pop culture icons were inspired by drag queens and their performances. Beyoncé states that because of the drag house circuit influence, when she is on stage, she thinks of herself through an alter ego known as Sasha (Gage). Madonna released a song and video called Vogue which is a dance created by the men in the Ballroom culture. Madonna learned how to vogue from members who were a part of the Ballroom and later on, her video featured all of the male dancers. There have been various appearances strictly focusing on this subculture in dominant society. The Ballroom culture was first displayed in 1991 in the documentary Paris Is Burning by Jennie Livingston. The documentary focused on the lives of those who have been involved with Ballroom culture for many decades. The documentary explored a variety of things that the members had to deal with. At the same time, the film provided